Shutter awning



ug- 12, 194% l `1.0.ACKERMAN l 2,252,677

SHUTTER AWN ING Filed Sept. 28, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l I Q l l' l A Aug, 12, 1941.

J. o. ACKERMAN 2,252,137?

SHUTTER AwNING l Filed Sept. 28, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented l2, 1941 UNITED STATES lPATENT OFFICE snv'r'raa AwNnve J. Otto Ackerman, Cleveland, Ohio Application september za, 1940, serial No. 358,369

s claims. (criss-@17) I'he invention relates to awnings having a plurality of overlapping shutters or vanes which -may be opened to admit light and air, or closed to exclude direct sunlight and shed rain.

For convenience, all of the vanes of a shutter awning should be arranged to be opened or closed simultaneously by a'single operating bar, so that the awning can be opened and closed manually by one person. With prior operating mechanisms for shutter awnings difficulty has been experienced in making the opening operation easy enough to be satisfactorily accomplished by one person, particularly if the vanes are elongated as where the awning is positioned over a show window or store front.

This difficulty is due largely to the fact that in opening the vanes they must be raised or lifted to swing upward from their closed overlapping position, and the weight of the vanes requires a heavy pull on the operating bar, especially where elongated vanes are used. f

Moreover, in prior operating mechanisms for shutter awnings the tendency has been to provide a relatively complicated system of levers and linkages in attempting to produce ease of operation, with the result that the operating mechanism has been increasingly expensive and in some cases has required frequent lubrication.

Another disadvantage with certain prior operating mechanisms for shutter awnings, in which vane supprting arms are pivoted intermediate their ends beyond the vanes on a frame member and have their free ends pivoted to a parallel operating bar, is that the top vane cannot swing under the stationary Weatherstrip at the top of the awning without notching the top vane, `and this permits moisture to leak through the` simple vand inexpensive operating mechanism forr a shutter awning.

A further object is to provide `an improved A shutter awning operating mechanism in which the pivots mounting the vanes for swinging are so positioned that the vanes are substantially balanced.

Another object is to provide an improved shutter awning operating mechanism which requires only one operating bar and permits location of the bar at -any place along the length `of the' vanes.

And nally, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved shutter awning which has all the advantages and overcomesthe disadvantages lof prior shutter awning constructions.

These and other objects are accomplished by the improvements comprising the present'invention, preferred embodiments of which are shown by way' of example in the accompanying drawings, and which is hereinafter described and claimed.

In general terms the invention may be stated as including laterally spaced frame members extending, angularly downward from a' support, means pivoting the vanes on said frame members at points located substantially centrally of the width of the vanes, and an operating bar paraliel with said frame members and pivot-.ally connected to said vanes for opening and closing the same.

Referring to the 'drawings forming part hereof, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view showing one embodiment of the improved shutter awning applied to a window. vas on line Il, Fig. 4, the

4 awning vanes beng shown in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1, showing the shutter awning detachedand the l vanes in fully opened position.

- tially open' position;

Fig.-.5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of another embodiment of the improved shutter awning as on line 5--5, Fig.'8, with the vanes in closed position;

Fig. 6 is a similar view with the vvanes in fully opened position;

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary rear sectional view a on line 1 1, Fig. 5; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevation partly in section on a reduced scale looking toward `the rear side of the shutter awning shown in Figs. 5 and 6, with the vanes'in partially open positi n.

Similar numerals refer to simil r parts throughout the drawings.

Referring first to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. A1 to 4 inclusive, in Fig. 1 the invention is shown applied to a conventional double sash window having the upper sash 9 and l the lower sash I0. vertically slidable in the winwindow frame II in a' usual fashion. Preferably a stationary weatherstrip I is'supported on the angle I 4 and extends outwardly for overlapping the uppermost vane of the shutter awning. l

'I'he number of rafter angles I3 may vary according to the lateral extent of the awning, two

such rafter angles being used one at each side of anordinary window, and where the awning is elongated 1.a number of rafter angles may bev spaced at suitable intervals.

The rafter angles I3 depend angularly downward and outward from the supporting angle I4 and are rigidly secured at their lower ends to the sides of the window by struts or braces I6 which may be twisted metal strips as shown. In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs.

l1 to 4 inclusive, the bottom end portions of the rafter angles I3 are bent angularly outward as shown at II and have a laterally extending angle I8 secured to their outer ends, a bottom awning 'strip or valance I9 being secured to'said angle I8. As shown, the braces I6 maybe bent upwardly at their outer ends around and over the angle I8 to connect the bottom end ofthe awning frame to the window frame.

Thevanes-or shutters'are indicated at 20 and aremmounted on the rafter angles in overlapping relation in closed position as shown in Fig. l. Each vane 2II has secured on its under side above each'rafter angle a bracket 2i, one dange 22 of which is secured to the vane and the other flange 23 projects rearwardly from the vane at right angles thereto.

At intervals longitudinally of the rafter angle I outwardly projecting arms 24 are rigidly secured thereto, 'and these arms 24 are pivotally connected attheir outer ends to the rearwardly projecting flanges of the brackets 2I. 25 connecting the brackets 2I to the arms 24 are located substantially centrally of the widths of the vanes, that is, each pivot 25 is located substantially midway between the upper-and lower edge of the vane 20 carried thereby, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 3.

-As shown in Fig. 2 the pivot points 25vare spaced outwardly from the angles I3 a suilicient distance to permit the vanes 20 to swing through substantially 90 to fully open Aposition without interfering with the rafter angles, and because of the relative location of the pivot points 25 vthe weatherstrlp IB can be made to overlap the uppermost vane 20 in both open and closed posi-v tion without interfering with its swinging -movement and without requiring notching of the uppermost vane..

The means for opening and closing the vanes 20 is preferably a single operating bar 26 which is disposed parallel with the rafter angles, and which is pivotally connected to all ofthe vanes 2B' by means of links 21 pivoted at one end to the operating bar 28 and having an angular flange 21' at their other ends 4secured directly toV the under sides of the vanes 20. Since the links 21 are connected to the vanes independently of the brackets 2i, the-operating bar can be located anywhere along the lateral extent ofthe awning, and as shown in Fig. 4,' the operating bar 28 is located substantially midway between ,two spaced rafter angles.

The pivots` Means for moving the opertaing bar manually may include va rearwardly projecting arm 28 secured to the operating bar 26 and having a cable 29 connected to its rear end. whereby la downward pull on the cable 29 will move the operating bar 26 downwardly and swing the I vanes 20 about their respective pivots 25 to the position shown-in Fig. 2. f y

Since the pivots 25 are located substantially centrally of the vanes 20, that is, substantially midway between their top and bottom edges, the vanes have a substantially balanced pivotal 'mounting sc that when 'the operating bar is moved downwardly j to raise the vanes there is very little enective weight to be lifted by thepull on the voperating bar.

Consequentlyvery little eiort is required to.

open the awning, with the result that vanes of increased length can be opened easily by a single' Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive, the rafter angles i3d are.

secured at their upper ends to a laterally extending supporting angle I4a. which is secured to the window frame. and the stationary weatherstrip Ita is supported on theangle I4a and extends outwardly therefrom for overlapping the uppermost vane of the shutter awning.

The rafter angles I3a are provided with ears 30a projecting outwardly vtherefrom at spaced intervals longitudinally of the rafter angles.-

Preferably the ears 30a formed integral with the rafter angles I3a,\ and the ears are adapted to pivotally mount the vanes 20a in overlapping relation in closed position as shown in Fig. A5.

Each vane 20a has secured on .its underside a bracket 2Ia', one ilange 22a of whichv is secured .to the vane and the other flange 23a projects i rearwardly from the vane at right angles thereto. The ears 30a are pivotally connected at their outer ends to the anges 23a of the brackets 2Ia,

Bda' are spaced a substantial distance outwardly from the rafter angles I3a and notches Sla are provided betweenv the ears so that the vanes 20a can swing through substantially 90 to fully open y position without interfering with the rafter swinging movement and without requiring notchangles. Moreover, because of the location of the pivots 25a with respect to fthe vanes 20a, ythe weatherstrip I5a can be made to overlap the uppermost vane without interfering with its ing of the uppermost vane.

AThe means for opening and closing the vanes 20a is preferably a single operating bar 26a which is disposed parallel with the rafter angles and is pivotally connected to arms 32a projecting vrearwardly from each of the brackets 2Ia.` Thus the operating bar 26a is located closely adjacent to one of the rafter angles i3d asbest shown. in Fig. 8, and does not require separate arms for pivotally connecting the operating bar tothe vanes 20a. Means for moving the `operating I bary man- Y f ually may include a rearwardly projecting arm 28a secured to the operating bar 26a and having a cable 29a connected to its rear end, whereby a downward pull on the cable 29a will move the operating bar downwardly and swing the vanes a about their respective pivots 25a to the open position shown in Fig. 6.

The pivots aA are located substantially centrally of the van'es 20a so as to provide a substantially balanced pivotal mounting for the varies and obtain the same advantages resulting from ease of operation as are obtained with the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. l to 4 inclusive. i

The improved operating: mechanism in both embodiments of the invention is extremely simple and inexpensive and overcomes the disadvantages of prior shutter awning constructions, at the same time accomplishing all of the advantages of those constructions.

I claim: n i

' 1. Shutter awning construction including laterally spaced rafter angles secured attheir upper ends to a support and depending angularly downward and outward therefrom, said rafter angles having spaced projections at intervals and adapted for swinging through substantially 90. to fully open position, a weatherstrip secured to said support overlapping the uppermost vane in its open and closed positions, and an operating bar pivotally connected with all of said vanes. y

3. Shutter awning construction including laterally spaced rafter angles secured at their upper ends to a support and depending angularly downward and outward therefrom, said rafter angles having spaced projections at intervals longitudinally thereof, vanes pivoted on said projections at positions providing a substantially balanced mounting for the vanes, and an operating bar pivotally connected with lall of said vanes.

4. Shutter awning construction including laterally spacedrafter angles secured at their up- -per ends to a support and depending angularly downward and outward therefrom, said rafter angles having spaced projections at intervals.

longitudinally thereof, vanes pivoted on said projections at positions providing a substantially balanced mounting for the varies, a weatherstrip secured to said support overlapping the uppermost vane at its open and closed positions, and an operating bar pivotally connected with all of said varies. y

5. Shutter awning construction including laterally spaced rafter angles secured at their upper ends to a support and depending angularly downward and outward therefrom, arms secured at intervals to the rafter angles and projecting outwardly therefrom, vanes pivoted substantially centrally of their widths on said arms, an operating bar positioned in parallel relation with `said rafter angles, and links pivotally connectingsaid operating bar with said Vanes.

6. Shutter awning construction including lat- I terally spaced rafter angles secured at theirupper ends to a support and depending angularly downward and outward therefrom, arms secured to said rafter angles at intervals longitudinally thereof and projecting outwardly therefrom, a plurality of overlapping vanes, brackets pivotally mounting said vanes on said" arms at points located substantially centrally of the vane widths, lan operating bar disposed in parallel relation with said rafter angles, and links pivotally connecting the operating bar with the vanes inde-.

pendently of the brackets.

7. Shutter awning construction including laterally spaced rafter angles secured 'at their upper ends to a support andvdepending angularly downward and outward therefrom, said rafter angles having spaced ears projecting outwardly therefrom, at intervals longitudinally thereof, vanes having brackets pivotally mounted substantially centrally ofthe widths of the vanes on said ears in overlapping relation with each other and adapted 'for swinging through substantially to fully open position, and an operating bar pivotally connected with the ends of said vbrackets for opening and closing said varies.- 8. Shutter awning construction including lat- 

